The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission approved changes to sportfishing orders at its meeting Oct. 16 in Kearney at the Michael and Gail Yanney Pavilion in Yanney Heritage Park. These orders regard daily bag limits, possession limits and open areas.
The amendments to sportfishing orders are:
- establish statewide regulations on Open Fields and Waters program lakes and ponds with the black bass 21-inch length limit and one-fish daily bag limit remaining and changing the panfish daily bag limit to five fish unless otherwise posted;
- add language to implement catch and release only at select OFW lakes and ponds; and
- prohibit shovelnose sturgeon from being taken by archery in inland and Missouri River waters.
Commissioners also approved:
- proposed fee increases for park lodging, rental facilities, camping and other miscellaneous fees; and
- the 2027 Nebraska Game and Parks Commission meeting schedule: Jan. 14-15 in Lincoln, March 18-19 in Grand Island, April 8-9 at a state park to be determined, June 10-11 at Scottsbluff/Gering, Aug. 19-20 in Valentine, and Oct. 14-15 in Omaha.
Staff presented the commissioners with the following updates:
- Bighorn Sheep Risk of Contact Model and Bighorn Sheep Restoration Facility – The model is a tool used to estimate the likelihood and frequency of contact between bighorn sheep and domestic sheep or goats. The Bighorn Sheep Restoration Facility recently began construction. The Bighorn Sheep Restoration Facility Plan, approved by the Commission in 2025, is a plan to build a series of pens to hold bighorn sheep to test and monitor for disease so that healthy sheep can eventually be moved back to the wild.
- Managed Access Program and Open Fields and Waters – The new Managed Access Program is a reservation-based hunting system designed to provide controlled access to hunting lands while promoting wildlife conservation. Open Fields and Waters offers financial incentives to landowners who allow public walk-in access for hunting, fishing and trapping. More than 466,000 acres currently are enrolled across the state.
- Interstate 80 Lakes fisheries management – An overview was given on how the lakes were created, how Nebraska Game and Parks became involved, and recent aquatic habitat and angler access projects; and
- Berggren Plan for Pheasants – This plan seeks to improve the pheasant hunting experience in Nebraska, with an emphasis on improving habitat and increasing public access in key areas.
In addition, Nebraska Hunter Education Coordinator Kyle Gaston recognized the following hunter education instructors for their years of service: Marlin Seeman, Aurora, 50 years; Sharon Dahl, St. Paul, 40 years; Mick Vogt, Madison, 40 years; Clifford Jorgensen, Alma, 40 years; Jim Stary, Omaha, 40 years; and Martin (Yogi) Ogden, Fremont, 40 years.
The Nebraska Big Game Society presented a donation of $100,000 for bighorn sheep conservation, and the Commission recognized them with the Award of Excellence for their generous donations of more than $1 million to support big game conservation in Nebraska.
To view regulations or orders as they were proposed, visit OutdoorNebraska.gov and search for “regulations.”
